The Lost Princess
by whitecrossgirl
Summary: AU. Set after series 3. The death of a tyrannical king has huge implications for Gwen as she discovers her entire life has been a lie and is now the sole heir to the throne. This means leaving behind all she's ever known. So no pressure. Arthur/Gwen
1. Khione

**AN: I swear I'm working on 'Becoming a Queen' but I'm having real trouble writing the show-down between Gwen and Morgana. I'll get it done I promise. This is set after series 3 but Uther won't be totally apathetic and Agravaine will be there being the sneaky little sneak that he usually is. Arthur/Gwen. Tregor is listed on the Merlin Wikipedia page as one of the Albion kingdoms. **

The kingdom of Tregor was burning.

The battle had been raging for almost a week and dozens of people had been killed. Many more were injured and homeless as fires raged and the invading army showed no mercy. The winter snow had turned scarlet with innocent people's blood. Inside the castle, anyone who could; the guards, servants and kitchen staff were arming themselves; ready to defend their home or die trying. In the main hall of the castle, the king and his sons were facing their opponents head on. None of the boys were older than thirteen yet they were ready to fight. One by one the princes were slain as was the king. The leader of the rebellion, Lord Matthias, led the way through the castle; he may have killed the royal men but the queen was a threat that also had to be dealt with.

In her private chambers; the queen was pacing backwards and forwards as she nursed her baby in her arms. Princess Khione was only two weeks old and was blissfully unaware of what was happening. The queen pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead and turned to the only other person in the room.

"You are sure about this my lady?" the man asked.

"Yes, I could not save my husband or sons but I can save her. You must take her and keep her safe. Take her, take her," the queen looked around the room and spotted the map that lay on her husband's desk. It was a map of Albion and her gaze fell on one of the kingdoms. "Take her to Camelot."

"Camelot? Are you sure?" the man asked.

"Yes, he is a sorcerer. Camelot is purging anyone who they even think is a sorcerer so he'll not even dream of attacking it. She'll be safe there." The queen replied as she handed over the baby and slipped the bracelet off her wrist and placed it into her daughter's blankets. "So you'll have part of us with you Khione. We love you, our little snow princess. Never forget that you're loved."

The baby princess looked up at her mother, unaware that this would be the last time she would lay eyes on her. The man took Khione, wrapped her tightly in a blanket and slipped out of the room. The queen fixed her crown and took deep breaths. Death was coming for her and she would greet it with dignity and grace; the way a queen should. She was terrified but she knew that she had managed to save her daughter. That thought was comfort alone as Lord Matthias burst into the room with his men.

"Where is the child?" he demanded.

"I will never tell." The queen replied, holding her head high.

"Tell me and I might let you live," Lord Matthias warned.

"You may as well kill me. We both know you would either way." The queen said, regarding the traitor to Tregor with disgust.

Lord Matthias gave an evil smile. "You are right."

He stuck his sword into the queen's chest directly over her heart. The queen was dead before she fell to the floor. With the king and queen dead; Lord Matthias took over as the new king. However the king occasionally wondered about the infant princess who had been smuggled out of the kingdom as it burnt. He sent his men to search the surrounding lands and towns but there was never any trace to be found. After a while King Matthias gave up the search and only his council knew that the princess had survived. Everyone else was led to believe that she had been killed along with her parents and brothers. Only one member of the council knew where the princess was; it was the very man who had smuggled the child to Camelot and he alone knew where she was being hidden.

A week after fleeing, the man managed to arrive in Camelot. He sought out an old friend whom he knew was working in Camelot as a physician. Hurrying through the castle with the baby princess in his arms, he reached the physician's rooms.

"Oliver, is that you?" Gaius asked as his friend entered the room and tore off his hood.

"Gaius old friend, I require your help." Oliver replied, gesturing to the bundle in his arms. "Before her death; Queen Roseanne asked me to take the princess to Camelot. I need you to ensure she is looked after."

Gaius took the infant from Oliver's arms and nodded. Word had reached Camelot that Tregor had fallen and the royal family had been assassinated. It had been assumed that the princess had also been slain with her family. The physician's mind was rushing with what to do. He could tell Uther the truth about the princess but that could put her life in danger if word reached Tregor that she had survived. He would need to find somewhere where she could be raised safely until she was old enough to understand.

"What should I do?" Gaius asked.

"You're a far smarter man than I am Gaius. I was simply ordered to deliver her here. I must be getting back to Tregor. Just promise me you'll ensure she's looked after." Oliver said.

"You have my word." Gaius promised. Oliver promised that someday the people of Tregor would return for their princess and stroked the baby's head before leaving to return to his home. Gaius studied the child in his arms. She would not even be a month old yet. However she was small for her age. Prince Arthur was only four months old himself. Four months since Ygraine had died and the Purge had begun. Everyday brought more arrests and more executions. It was a rough time to be living in but what the baby had gone through in her short life was just as awful. She'd lost her home and her family and had no idea of what had happened. Gaius was jolted from his thoughts as running footsteps sounded and a man and woman sprinted into the room. The woman was holding a bundle and tears were running down their faces.

"What is the matter?" Gaius asked as he placed the baby onto his bed.

"It's Guinevere, she's not breathing." Thomas replied. Gaius took the baby but knew there was nothing he could do. The baby was dead. There seemed to have been no signs of illness, nothing that could have been cured or prevented. Fate was cruel in ways such as this. Gaius shook his head and Mariam began sobbing harder. Thomas held his wife as he wept too. Their daughter was only two weeks old but it seemed that Heaven couldn't bear to have been parted with her for that long and stole her back. Gaius covered the baby in the shroud and as he did so; the baby princess began crying. The three of them looked at the crying baby and Mariam walked over to the child and stared at her.

"Tom, look at her." Mariam said. Tom stood by his wife and stared at the crying child.

It was eerie but she looked exactly like their little Guinevere. The same dark skin and wisps of dark curly hair and by instinct Mariam picked up the child and began soothing her cries. Gaius looked at the couple holding the child and knew what he had to do.

"Tom, Mariam, there is something I need you to do for me." Gaius said.

For an hour Gaius explained who the baby was and what he required them to do. Obviously their initial reaction was to refuse but Gaius placated them by explaining that they were not replacing their Guinevere; they were simply adopting a baby as their own. However they understood that the baby was clearly destined for great things and agreed to adopt her. Tom and Mariam also understood that it was important that nobody except for the three of them knew who she really was and that their real Guinevere had passed away. In the middle of the night; at the bottom of a tall oak tree, the three of them buried little Guinevere and made a silent pact to only tell Khione/Guinevere who she really was after Matthias' death and if she was old enough to understand. Gaius walked back to the castle and Tom and Mariam returned home to where their neighbour had been watching eighteen-month-old Elyan for them.

"Is everything alright with Guinevere?" Ivy asked. Tom and Mariam looked at each other and to their new daughter who was sleeping in Tom's arms.

"Everything's fine, she's… safe." Mariam replied.

_Nearly twenty four years later_

King Matthias was dying. It was no great tragedy to the people of Tregor. He had been despised by his people from the day he took power. His brutal takeover was followed by a brutal regime. If one disagreed with anything the king said or did then that person was executed. No trail, no appeals, they were simply killed. There had been a few attempted uprisings but nothing could remove the king from power.

Nothing except Death itself and Death did take him on a dark night.

The physician had delivered the news to the council. Many of them had been forced to be part of his council for most of Matthias' men were simply thugs. While the people of Tregor rejoiced and celebrated their freedom; the council had bigger things to worry about. Matthias' death meant that the only heir to the throne was Princess Khione; someone who nearly everyone believed was dead. Oliver looked at his council members. It was time; time to reveal the exact location of the princess.

"She is in Camelot and alive and well. My friend in Camelot, whom I entrusted her to, writes to me every six months to keep me informed about her. She is unmarried and worked as a servant for Lady Morgana until, well, recent events." Oliver explained. The men nodded; everyone in Albion had heard of what the Lady Morgana had done to Camelot mere weeks ago. The news of what Uther's daughter had done to her own kingdom had stirred up many a painful memory for the people of Tregor. It was partly why the people celebrated all the more for the end of their tyranny.

"Does she know who she is?" one of the men, Simon, asked.

"No; it's up to us to reveal the truth." Oliver replied. The council looked at one another and decided that Oliver and two others; Simon and Edwin would travel to Camelot with some of the knights and guards to find the princess and bring her home. That night the men and their families joined the celebrations in Tregor and early the next morning set off to Camelot to find their princess.

**AN: Who seen episode 11? It was brilliant and what Morgana did to Gwen was beyond twisted. Cannot wait for episode 12, it looks amazing!**


	2. The Princess Revealed

**AN: Thanks for the reviews; time for the men from Tregor to reach Camelot and reveal the truth. **

It was two months since Morgana's uprising against Uther and Camelot had just about rebuilt itself. The past two months everyone had pitched in to rebuild their town. The social barriers were broke down as Prince Arthur and the knights worked with the homeowners of Camelot to rebuild the homes which had been burnt or destroyed during Morgana's short but brutal reign. The repairs had meant that many were homeless and were taken in by anyone who could. Elyan, Percival and Gwaine stayed with Gwen while Lancelot stayed with Merlin and Arthur let Leon share his chambers so that refugees could be accommodated within the castle. Over the past two months, the newest knights were welcomed by the people of Camelot as heroes and the eight of them had spent most evenings simply talking and getting to know each other better. They were more than friends; they were family.

Speaking of family; Morgana's imprisoning of Uther meant that while the king was still down, he wasn't out. In the first few days after Arthur and the knights took the throne back; Uther had written to his estranged brother-in-law Lord Agravaine and requested that he come to Camelot in its hour of need. Nobody was aware that Agravaine's true loyalties already lay with Morgana and Morgause and had done ever since she wrote to him after discovering the truth about her parenthood. For the moment Agravaine was keeping up the façade of caring uncle to Arthur and supportive brother-in-law to Uther until the sister's next plan to take back Morgana's rightful throne. As a way of expressing his gratitude, Uther refused to strip the newest knights of their titles; Morgana's actions had hit home the truth that a noble background didn't equate to a noble heart. Uther hadn't fully changed however he was willing to give those who helped Camelot in its darkest hour a chance.

It was a warm summer morning and the people of Camelot were going about their daily routines. The knights were training, the cooks were preparing food for lunch, the townspeople were working at their respective trades, the maids and servants were cleaning the castle. Gwen was helping Merlin beat Arthur's curtains from both the window and the bed.

"Weird to think these get so dusty so quickly." Merlin commented as he beat the bed curtains.

"Um Merlin, you're supposed to remove the curtains from the posters, remember?" Gwen said. Merlin looked at the now dusty bedcovers and swore under his breath.

"Give it here," Gwen said, pushing back the curtains and opening the window. Taking the bedcover she held it out the window and began shaking the dust off it. While her back was turned, Merlin muttered a quick spell and the bed curtains cleaned themselves as the door opened and Arthur returned from training. Thankfully the prince didn't see Merlin using his magic. Gwen pulled the bedcovers back in and smiled at Arthur who grinned back at her. Merlin nodded to himself. Ever since they had kissed in the courtyard; Arthur and Gwen's relationship was known by everyone yet for some reason they felt they needed to maintain their so-called secret relationship even though it had been accepted by everyone. Well Uther and Agravaine 'reminded' Arthur of Gwen's social standing every so often but that was more out of habit than anything else.

"How was training?" she asked.

"Quite good, Lancelot almost knocked Gwaine out with the mace." Arthur replied as he moved behind his screen and Merlin passed him a clean shirt and trousers.

"Is he alright?" Merlin asked.

"It's Gwaine, what do you think?" Arthur replied. Merlin nodded; thinking of the different brawls Gwaine got himself involved in; he was fine. Once he was changed, Arthur gave Merlin a get-out-of-here-now look. Merlin slipped out of the room and Arthur wrapped his arms around Gwen and kissed her cheek.

"You know, Gwaine wasn't the only one injured in training." Arthur said.

"Who else was hurt?" Gwen asked with concern.

"I got a hit to the mouth." Arthur said seriously but with a grin. Gwen smiled.

"Do you want me to kiss it better?" she asked as she kissed him.

The three men rode through the lower town and reached the castle. They looked around the courtyard at the different women; wondering which one was Princess Khione. Oliver dismounted first as a knight walked towards them.

"Can we help you?" Elyan asked.

"We need to speak with Gaius. It's a matter of great urgency." Oliver replied. Elyan studied the men before summoning over a pair of servants, telling them to bring the horses to the stables while he led the strangers into the castle to Gaius' chambers. The physician was studying something in one of his numerous books when the knights knocked on the door and entered.

"Elyan; is there a problem?" Gaius asked.

"There are some men here to see you." Elyan replied as Oliver, Simon and Edwin entered the room.

"Gaius my friend; it's been a long time." Oliver said. Gaius studied his old friend as Elyan left them alone. Gaius looked at Oliver who introduced Simon and Edwin to Gaius.

"Matthias passed away two weeks ago. I think you know why we're here." Oliver said without preamble.

"Of course," Gaius nodded. He knew this day would someday come. Gaius, Tom and Mariam had managed to keep the truth hidden from everyone, especially Gwen for nearly twenty four years. Gwen was completely unaware of her real identity and Gaius knew that Gwen wouldn't react gently to the news that she was in fact royalty.

"So tell us more. You've been cryptic in your letters. Now that we're here can you at least tell us her name?" Oliver probed.

"Her name is Guinevere Leodegrance, her brother is Sir Elyan." Gaius replied.

"The knight who brought us here? I thought she was adopted by a blacksmith and his wife or are things done differently in Camelot?" Simon asked.

"He was knighted during Morgana's reign by Prince Arthur; things are slowly changing in Camelot I'll admit." Gaius answered. The Tregor men nodded.

"We need to meet Kh-Guinevere." Edwin said.

"Well, we'll need to explain to Uther first. Follow me." Gaius said. The four men walked through the castle to the throne room where Uther and Agravaine were discussing a reported sighting of Morgana in the Darkling Woods. Gaius knocked once on the door and walked in, followed by Oliver, Simon and Edwin.

"Gaius, is there a problem?" Uther asked. Gaius turned to Oliver who stepped forward.

"Sire, my name is Oliver, this is Simon and Edwin. We come from the kingdom of Tregor." Oliver said.

"Tregor? It's been a long time since we have had men from your kingdom here." Uther commented.

"Indeed, King Matthias was a harsh and merciless ruler and preferred to alienate us from the other kingdoms. However we are here on official business for our kingdom." Simon said. "King Matthias died two weeks ago following a long illness. He had no heirs and that is why we're here."

"I don't understand." Uther said. All of the men were paying full attention now.

"Before her death, Queen Roseanne gave me her final request. Her final request was that her baby daughter, the Princess Khione, be smuggled out of Tregor and brought to Camelot. As far as we know, she is alive and well." Oliver explained.

"The princess survived? I don't mean to offend but I think I would have known if a princess was living in my kingdom for over twenty years." Uther replied.

"They're right my lord. Princess Khione has been living in Camelot for nearly twenty four years now." Gaius admitted. Everyone stared at him in confusion. Gaius however didn't continue and instead walked to the doors. They couldn't hear what he asked the guards to do but a few minutes later they returned with Arthur, Gwen, Elyan, Lancelot, Gwaine and Merlin. All of them looked confused at being summoned and regarded the three strangers with some apprehension.

"Who are these people, what's going on?" Arthur asked.

"We come from the kingdom of Tregor. We're looking for our lost princess. Although technically with Matthias dead; she's now the queen of Tregor." Oliver explained.

"Princess Khione?" Arthur asked, Uther had told him what had happened in Tregor when he was younger. Uther used the kingdom's takeover by the sorcerer Matthias to show Arthur just how evil those with sorcery were and what they would do to anyone who crossed their way; even royalty. The men nodded and Uther asked Gaius the question they were all dying to know the answer to.

"Gaius, where is Princess Khione? And how on earth did you manage to hide a princess in Camelot for so long?" Uther asked.

"The night that Khione was brought to Camelot; a baby girl baring a slight resemblance to the princess died. Her parents brought her to me but there was nothing I could do. After explaining who the princess was and why she needed to be hidden, the parents agreed to adopt the princess while claiming that she was their daughter. The baby was buried that same night." Gaius paused and looked at Gwen and Elyan. "The dead baby's name was Guinevere."

Gwen looked at Gaius as though he'd grown an extra head. This had to be some sort of mistake or joke. She wasn't a princess. She was born and raised in Camelot. Gwen shook her head.

"You're wrong Gaius," Gwen denied. This was impossible. Gaius had to be wrong. But Gaius was never wrong and he would never lie. Especially about something like this.

"I'm sorry Gwen but you are and always have been Princess Khione." Gaius said. Gwen stared at Gaius before turning to Elyan who looked as confused as she was. Gwen's mind was spinning with what Gaius had said and she did the only thing she could think of doing. She ran out of the room.

"Guinevere!" Arthur called and he went to follow her but Elyan held him back.

"Let her be alone," he said before turning to Gaius. "Tell me everything."

Gaius looked at the men and began fully explaining what had happened on that winter night so many years ago.

**AN: So there we are, the truth is out. Chapter 3: reactions to the truth.**


	3. Reactions

**AN: Thanks for the reviews and story alerts. Here everyone reacts to the truth about Gwen.**

Leon and Percival were walking towards the throne room. They had been on guard patrol and a servant informed them that they were to be in the throne room. As they walked down the corridor, Gwen sprinted past them; an unreadable look on her face. Leon and Percival called after Gwen but she simply ignored them. Leon and Percival entered the throne room to see Gaius talking to the men about some girl named Khione. Leon and Percival listened and understood why Gwen had run.

Gwen ran through the castle and into the grounds without stopping. She dodged people, ignored any questions asking her what was wrong and kept running until she reached the small meadow just outside the castle grounds that separated the woods from the back entrance to the castle. There she stopped at the base of the large sycamore tree that she always climbed as a child when she needed a private place. Gwen pulled herself into the branches and sat across the branch with her back against the trunk as she caught her breath and the information ran through her brain.

_She_ was a princess.

She was a _princess._

Though technically with Matthias dead, she was a queen.

How on earth could she be a Queen, never mid a princess!

How could it be that not ten minutes ago she was just a normal servant and now she was heir to the Tregor throne?

How could she leave behind all she'd ever known to rule over a kingdom she'd never even been to before?

Could she actually rule over an entire kingdom?

What if the people of Tregor hated her?

Did she start calling herself Khione or keep her name as Guinevere?

Khione was a princess and Guinevere was a servant but Guinevere's life was the one she'd lived for her whole life but she had never actually been Guinevere. All along she'd been Khione. Gwen leant her head against the trunk and shook it. This was too much to take in. She didn't know how to feel. Was she supposed to mourn the family she'd never known? Was she to happily accept control over Tregor? How was she supposed to react to the news that she was to become a queen? Sure like all little girls Gwen had imagined someday a handsome prince would arrive and whisk her away to his kingdom to be his queen. These days, Arthur was always reminding her that someday they would rule over Camelot as King and Queen. Yet this was a whole other story. She wasn't becoming royalty. She was royalty.

"How are you feeling?" Gwen turned to see Elyan standing on a branch just below her and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't understand. Everything I've lived is a lie. What am I to do?" Gwen asked. Elyan pulled himself up onto the same branch as Gwen and awkwardly put an arm around her.

"Gaius explained it to us. Why he hid you and never told anyone. If that Matthias wanted you dead as a baby then what would he have done if he knew you were alive?" Elyan explained. Gwen nodded; she supposed there was some method in the madness. Logically it was beginning to work out. How do you hide royalty? You hid them from everyone, including themselves.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I can't leave Camelot for some kingdom I've never been to." Gwen said.

"You know what you have to do. Besides it's not like you would be going alone. I happen to know five knights, a prince and Merlin who are willing to accompany our princess to her kingdom." Elyan reassured and gestured to the ground. Standing at the bottom of the tree was Arthur, Merlin, Gwaine, Lancelot, Leon and Percival. The men were looking up at Gwen and smiling reassuringly. Gwen smiled down at the men before turning to Elyan. Her big brother. The boy who let her play Knights and Dragons with him and his friends and the boy who got them into trouble with their father. The young man who gave any boy who even looked at Gwen the 'Break her heart and I'll break your face' warning and the young man who had that fateful argument with Tom and left Camelot. The man who was trapped in Cenred's castle with her and the man who was knighted by Arthur for his loyalty to Camelot. Her big brother.

"You're the best brother I could have asked for Elyan. The real Guinevere would have been lucky to have you." Gwen admitted sincerely. As children they had fought like cat and dog but at the end of the day they had been raised as brother and sister. Even if now they weren't related by blood, nothing could change that.

"Yeah," Elyan nodded sadly. It was strange to think that his blood sister died and he'd never known the difference. Then again he was only eighteen months old at the time. The siblings looked at one another, thinking of their parents and wondering what their parents would have said in this situation. Elyan looked at Gwen.

"I don't care who you really are. Nothing will change the fact that you're my sister. Even if you were Queen… Queen of the Moon; you'd still be my sister." Elyan said and gave her a one-armed hug.

"Thanks Elyan," Gwen said, returning the hug.

"So now that you're a princess, what does that make me? Lord Elyan? Duke Elyan? Prince Elyan?" Elyan asked with a grin. Gwen laughed and began climbing down out of the tree. As Gwen reached the ground Merlin immediately pulled her into a hug.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked.

"I'm getting there. I'm still trying to get my head around it." Gwen admitted.

"We're here for you," Lancelot promised. "No matter what happens."

"Thanks," Gwen smiled.

"Can I just say that I was right," Gwaine said. Everyone looked at him and Gwaine grinned at Gwen. "The day we met, did I not say you were a princess?"

"You also said my name was Esmeralda." Gwen replied, remembering Gwaine's attempts to flirt with her on his first day in Camelot.

Gwaine shrugged. "Khione, Esmeralda, same thing really."

"Actually 'Khione' means 'snow' and 'Esmeralda' means 'emerald'." Percival corrected.

"That shut you up." Leon commented. Gwaine pulled a face and clapped a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"What do you say about all of this Princess?" Gwaine asked.

"I'm still trying to make sense of it myself. However for once I'm agreeing with you Gwaine; I always knew there was something of royalty about Guinevere." Arthur replied.

"What a weird day. Gwen's a princess and Arthur's agreeing with Gwaine. Next thing you know Merlin will turn out to be a sorcerer." Lancelot quipped. They all laughed and missed the look Merlin shot Lancelot. Lancelot simply gave Merlin an innocent look.

"That's going too far." Leon commented. Merlin, a sorcerer? Impossible. "So do we call you Khione or Gwen now?" Leon asked, turning back to Gwen who shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't honestly know." Gwen replied.

"You could be both; Queen Khione-Guinevere of Tregor." Gwaine suggested with an exaggerated bow. They all laughed as Elyan smacked him in the back of the head. However Gwen considered the possibility. She was both women so why not keep both names?

"Ready to come back inside?" Arthur asked, taking Gwen's hand. Gwen looked at their entwined fingers before nodding at the others. She had to face her destiny but at least she had her brothers with her to walk alongside her every step of the way.

In the throne room, the three councilmen from Tregor, Gaius, Uther and Agravaine were thinking about Gwen. Uther had managed to comprehend how Gaius had managed to keep all of this secret for so long. Gaius was undoubtedly the cleverest man in Camelot; in fact Uther probably would have been more shocked if Gaius had managed to let the truth out beforehand. There was also a voice in his head reminding the king of the time he had sentenced the girl to death, believing she was a sorceress when she was actually enchanted. Uther shook his head as he thought about what implications he would have been feeling if he had had her executed. Uther was getting to be too old for this.

Agravaine was also thinking about the situation. How on earth could it be that this serving girl; Morgana's former serving girl, was the heir to the Tregor throne? This presented a possible problem for Morgana. Given the girl's relationship with Arthur; the truth about her heritage meant that there was no reason why she and Arthur couldn't be wed. Arthur, the sentimental fool he was; was probably mentally planning the wedding now. Agravaine knew he had to get this news to Morgana as soon as possible.

Gaius, Oliver, Simon and Edwin were talking about Gwen when the doors opened and the knights and Gwen returned. Gwen walked over to Gaius and hugged his tightly.

"Thank you Gaius," Gwen said. The physician may have lied to her for her whole life but by lying he had been keeping her safe. Gaius gave a small smile and introduced Gwen to Oliver, Simon and Edwin. Gwen shook their hands and gave Oliver a hug. She stepped back and thanked Oliver. This man saved her life. If he hadn't smuggled her out of Tregor…

"Your majesty, we have much to discuss about your return and coronation." Oliver said. Gwen nodded; the 'your majesty' would definitely take some getting used to.

"I still need to get my head around it." Gwen said.

"We understand," Edwin said. "It must have been a massive shock."

"If you wish; we could help teach you about Tregor and our laws. It'll help your reign if you understood the way we do things in our kingdom." Simon advised.

"That would be a great help." Gwen nodded.

"If you don't mind I would be honoured to help Guinevere learn what she needs to know about how a kingdom works." Arthur volunteered walking towards Gwen who smiled at him. The knights rolled their eyes at one another. Uther nodded at his son. Now that Guinevere was in fact a princess; he saw no reason why they should hide their relationship anymore.

"Do you want us to make an announcement or some sort? One of us could return and formally announce the news that you're actually alive. It's a week's ride to Tregor. If one of us went now you could have a few days to prepare before your return." Oliver offered.

Gwen bit her lip. It wasn't a long time but she knew that a kingdom could only go for so long without a monarch. She looked at the others before nodding once. There would be a lot to learn in a short time but she'd spent her teen years with Morgana listening to Arthur rant and recite all the 'boring useless facts' he had to learn if he was to someday be king. Morgana had also refused point blank to have any dance or etiquette lessons unless Gwen got to have them too. They had been such close friends once…

That night Gwen, Arthur, Oliver and Simon watched as Edwin rode out for Tregor to deliver the news that she was still alive. Gwen studied the men nervously, Arthur at her side. He had refused to leave her for a moment once they had learnt the truth. There was so much information to process about Tregor. Its finances and taxes; its laws and traditions. There were also the changes that would have to be made following Matthias' reign, the reforming of relationships between Tregor and the other kingdoms. There was so much that needed to be done. When the men finally finished with Gwen for the night; Arthur escorted her home. Due to her new status as royalty Gwen had been offered rooms in the palace but declined the offer. If she moved into the castle, people would talk and that meant her true identity could be at risk of being revealed. With Morgana and Morgause still out there that was one possibility nobody wanted to consider.

Well, all except one.

Under the cover of darkness Agravaine rode out of Camelot and into the woods until he came to the hovel where Morgana and Morgause were hiding out following their uprising. Contrary to what was believed; Morgause had survived her injuries. The sisters were plotting how they were going to bring down Camelot when Agravaine knocked on the door. Both of the sorceresses picked up their daggers as Morgana inched towards the door and opened it.

"Agravaine, what brings you here?" Morgana asked.

"I have some news that you may find interesting. King Matthias of tregor has died." Agravaine replied.

"How is this of any interest to us?" Morgause asked.

"Princess Khione, the true heir who was assumed dead for over twenty years has in fact been alive and well in Camelot." Agravaine explained. Morgana was now fully paying attention.

"Who is she?" Morgana asked, dreading the answer. Agravaine would only have told her this if…

"Guinevere," Agravaine confirmed.

"The servant? How on earth could she be a princess?" Morgause asked.

"Gaius, the interfering old fool managed to hide her as an infant with the blacksmith." Agravaine replied. Morgana scoffed. Gaius, of course. This information could be problematic. Uther, being the hypocrite that he was, was no doubt giving Arthur permission to marry Gwen right this moment. Now that she was royalty there was no reason Uther could refuse. Her visions of Gwen sitting on her throne were coming to fruition. She had to be gotten rid of and soon.

"Sister," Morgause began, studying the look on her younger sister's face. Morgana looked up and her face broke into the familiar smirk Morgause knew so well.

"So Gwen is a princess. We must offer her our congratulations, must we not?" Morgana smirked as a plan began to form in her head.

**AN: So what will they plan, need some ideas here folks. Any suggestions just leave them in the reviews. Also if any of you could suggest what Tregor's colours and emblem should be, let me know. Thanks for reading.**


	4. Journey to Tregor

**AN: Sorry it's been so long since I updated; life as well as other stories got in the way and I kind of lost my flow for this story but I've thankfully got it back. To recap Gwen is actually the long lost Princess Khione of the kingdom of Tregor who was smuggled to Camelot as a baby when her kingdom was overtaken by the tyrannical Lord Matthias. Now that he is dead; she must leave Camelot behind and return to Tregor to become queen. **

Three days after Oliver and Simon's arrival from Tregor found Gwen packing up some belongings to take with her to her new kingdom. Aside from clothes, she also took various personal items. The sword that Tom made her for her eighteenth birthday, a blanket which she and Elyan shared as children as well as various miscellaneous items which brought back memories; some good and some bad. It was early in the morning, dawn had barely broken but Gwen had been unable to sleep. Today she was leaving behind her life in Camelot to become the Queen of Tregor, despite it being a week-long ride to the coastal kingdom; the nerves had already began to set in about being crowned to rule over an entire kingdom of people. Gwen looked around her house before picking up the silver bracelet that had belonged to her birth mother and sliding it onto her wrist. Tom had always told her it belonged to Mariam and had been left to her when she died. However whenever she showed it to Simon and Oliver; they recognised it as being an old heirloom of the Tregor royal family and was a traditional wedding gift between the bride and groom.

Through her quick and intense lessons about Tregor; Gwen knew that the kingdom's colours were light blue and indigo and its emblem was a light blue wave on an indigo background. Tregor's territory stretched all the way across the south coast. It was a kingdom that had always allowed sorcery and many sorcerers who had fled Camelot during the Purge took sanctuary in the kingdom however they were willing to use magic for the benefit of their friends and neighbours. Given that her known encounters with sorcery always resulted in trouble, Gwen was slightly nervous at the concept of ruling over sorcerers. Whenever she revealed this to Merlin, the manservant had seemed slightly on edge until Gwen explained that she believed there had to be some good sorcerers out there somewhere. Magic was like other forms of power; weaponry, wealth, knowledge and nobility. It wasn't evil itself but what one chose to do with it.

As Gwen traced her finger over her wrist, Elyan knocked on the door and entered. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"I think so," Gwen replied and followed Elyan up to the castle where the others were waiting to go. By leaving early, they planned to get away from Camelot before anyone realised Gwen wasn't at work or suspected something was wrong. As Gwen mounted her horse, the men gave her a reassuring smile and took off. As they rode out of Camelot, Gwen looked over her shoulder to get a last look at the place she'd called home for so long. As the white towers faded into the distance it hit her that the next time she returned to Camelot, she'd be returning as a queen.

"Is anyone else sore?" Merlin asked as evening fell; they had been travelling all day. He couldn't be the only one with a sore backside.

"Only you Merlin, as usual." Arthur commented, rolling his eyes. Couldn't Merlin go one day of riding without complaining?

"You should walk every so often," Gwen commented as she led her horse on foot. Merlin stopped his horse, slid off and followed Gwen's example, wincing as his tired muscles protested.

"Should we stop, it's getting too dark and the horses need rest." Leon suggested. The others muttered in agreement and began to set up camp. Gwen had already refused point blank to stop doing her share of the work and went to gather firewood. Lancelot decided to 'accompany' her. They were all aware that since they were in the open; there was a risk of running into bandits, slave traders or even Morgana.

"Weird to think this time next week you'll be a crowned queen." Lancelot commented as he gathered some broken sticks.

"I know, it's crazy. I'm just glad you all came with me. I'd be terrified of going it alone." Gwen replied.

"But what about afterwards? As much as he'd love to; Arthur couldn't stay in Tregor forever," Lancelot stated. Gwen nodded. She'd thought about that.

"I know but it's like… it's like anytime you go somewhere new. You don't know anyone but you just need to find your bearings. It was just the idea of leaving Camelot by myself which was what scared me." Gwen commented before laughing.

"What's so funny?" Lancelot asked.

"I sound like some damsel in distress whose not able to go anywhere without any knights in shining armour to protect me. Considering the fact I spent my childhood trying to prove myself as 'one of the boys', well… just don't tell Elyan I said any of that." Gwen replied.

"You have my word." Lancelot replied with a smile. Gwen looked at the wood they'd gathered.

"I think that should be enough; let's head back to get the fire lit." Gwen suggested and they headed back.

As night fell, the group were sat around the fire swapping stories. It was childish but great fun just sitting around trying to scare one another or making the others laugh. Gwaine was relaying a story he'd heard in childhood about an Irish king who had donkey's ears. This had caused Merlin, Gwen and Arthur to remember the time Gaius was possessed by a goblin and the trouble it had caused. However while Arthur wasn't laughing, Gwen and Merlin couldn't hold back their sniggers.

"What's so funny?" Percival asked. Gwen shook her head but Merlin couldn't resist.

"Last year a goblin had possessed Gaius and was causing chaos. Remember Leon?" Merlin asked. Leon nodded; that was been a crazy and in hindsight, hilarious few days. "Anyway one of the things the goblin did was put a spell on Arthur and gave him donkey ears."

Merlin was interrupted by the others laughing and Arthur glared at Merlin. He had almost forgotten that embarrassing incident. However Arthur was planning revenge and it involved a certain feathered hat…

"I'd have paid so much money to have seen that." Gwaine laughed.

"I didn't see him until the spell was reversed, it was Gwen who told me." Merlin said.

"It wasn't funny," Gwen insisted but just like when she told Merlin what happened; she couldn't keep a straight face. "I'm sorry Arthur but if it had happened to any of us you'd have laughed yourself unconscious."

Arthur tried to deny it but couldn't. He had to admit seeing someone with the ears of a donkey would have been hilarious. But not when it happened to him! Simon and Oliver had been listening to the various stories before getting to their feet and into their tents. The others followed suit with Arthur and Merlin doing guard duty.

Edwin was two days ride from Tregor. He had made good time on his trip and if he kept it up should make it back to the kingdom by nightfall tomorrow. Times were certainly changing for his kingdom. The girl, Guinevere had been naturally stunned to learn the truth but she was clearly a mature and fairly intelligent young woman who knew the ways of the court. As long as she had the support of the counsel; then Tregor could start to rebuild itself in the ways of the glory days of old when her father and mother reigned over the land. Edwin wrapped himself in his blanket at the base of a tree to get some sleep. As he drifted off to sleep; he didn't see the figures approaching him and placing a charm around his neck.

"_Ubi experrectus eris me duce. Et revertetur in terram reginae Tregor nomen mihi."_

Morgana's eyes flashed gold and the charm glowed around Edwin's neck. The sorceress turned and shared a smirk with her sister. The spell was a simple one yet foolproof. Edwin would be her puppet; under her control long enough to name her as Queen of Tregor; true the kingdom wasn't as powerful as Camelot but she would be able to use her new position and army to attack Camelot and bring down Uther and Arthur. However before she started a war; Morgana was going to take the special time to eliminate those two threats to her plans, namely Merlin and Gwen. While Morgause doubled back to try and eliminate the group from Camelot , Morgana waited until sunrise when the man from Tregor awoke and his gaze fell on her.

"My lady, we should make it to Tregor by nightfall if we leave now." Edwin explained. Morgana smiled and allowed him to help her onto his horse.

"When will I be crowned?" Morgana asked.

"If we reach Tregor by nightfall then you will be crowned no later than tomorrow afternoon." Edwin replied as he led her away. Morgana smirked to herself. Her plan was working perfectly and by tomorrow evening; war will be declared upon Camelot. Her father would be so proud.

"How long will it take for us to get to Tregor?" Gwaine asked as they set off.

"At this pace we should make it in around five days." Simon replied as he and Oliver led the way through the forests. The land however evened out from hillsides and the forest allowed for clear passage across the land. By nightfall they were just ten miles from the halfway point between Camelot and Tregor. All that separated them now was a series of hillsides and a large forest. Once they passed through the hills and forest it was straight ahead to the coast and Tregor. Once again they began to set up came. Their smooth progression meant that they were to reach Tregor within three days.

"Nervous yet?" Merlin asked Gwen. Gwen only nodded. Replace the word 'nervous' with 'completely and utterly terrified' for a more accurate answer. Elyan, Gwaine and Leon were on guard duty when they heard a rustling noise sounding nearby. The knights approached it with caution but it was only a badger. However as they turned back to the camp; they heard Merlin yelling. They all ran back to see Arthur, Percival and Lancelot helping Merlin and Gwen dodge attacks sent by Morgause. Morgause used her magic to grab Gwen and produced a blade which she held to the princess' throat.

"If you try then I'll slit her throat from ear to ear." Morgause threatened.

"Let her go Morgause." Arthur ordered.

"I don't think so. She's too much of a threat, aren't you _Khione_?" Morgause asked Gwen, pressing the steel blade closer to her throat. Gwen looked at all of them and her gaze fell on Merlin who seemed to be battling with himself. As they looked at one another, Morgause blasted the men back as they tried to get Gwen away from the sorceress. In the moment Morgause was distracted, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and she let out a yell of pain and dropped the blade to the ground. Gwen ducked out from her grasp as Morgause vanished. They all looked at one another and Arthur spoke.

"It isn't safe here. We need to keep moving. She could be back at any moment." Arthur advised. They quickly packed up their belongings and mounted their horses to take them away from where Morgause attacked. They were all uneasy at how Morgause managed to find them and her use of Gwen's real name was a clear indication that she and Morgana knew about who Gwen really was. Yet the only people who knew were all of them, Uther, Agravaine and the council. That meant one of them was a traitor and allied with the sorceresses. None of them said anything but instead travelled onwards in silence until dawn when they decided to rest halfway down the hillside. While Arthur and Lancelot took the first guard duty, the rest tried to get some sleep. Gwen however was sitting up in her tent running her hand along her throat. The blade hadn't pierced the skin but she had felt the coldness against her neck. Gwen ran through what happened in her mind.

Morgause used magic to grab her and held a knife to her throat.

The knights tired to help her but were blasted back.

Morgause dropped the blade- no, she didn't.

Morgause wouldn't drop the blade unless she was disarmed yet the only one still standing aside from her was…

Merlin.

Gwen sat bolt upright as she reached her epiphany. One which she should have figured out years ago. How could she have been so blind? Now that she knew the truth; Gwen had to ask herself why on earth she had never seen it before. All their adventures and trouble they were landed in; the fights and beasts; the troll and witch finder and the dragon; all those various threats that seemed to resolve themselves had in fact never resolved themselves.

It was Merlin.

Merlin had magic…

**AN: So Gwen knows Merlin's secret. Next chapter; they arrive in Tregor and run into their old 'friend' Morgana. The translation for Morgana's spell is:**

"**When you awake you'll be under my command. You shall return to Tregor and name me as Queen of your land."**


End file.
